Snow on Palomar Mountain

Flower Fields open in Carlsbad

The annual opening day, March 1, at the Carlsbad Flower Fields was not as colorful as it has been in years past, but visitors who braved the inclement weather and were willing to walk to the extreme ends of the fields were rewarded with a hillside of petunias on one end and a robust field of ranunculi on the other end. Photography by Peggy Peattie/UT San Diego

Students on Trial

About 450 San Diego County high school students participated in the annual San Diego County High School Mock Trial Competition at the downtown courthouse, February 28, 2015 Photography by Howard Lipin/U-T San Diego

Silver Bay Kennel Show

Sunday was the final day of the annual Silver Bay Kennel Club Dog Show held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The best of the best were singled out in a variety of breeds. Photography by Peggy Peattie/UT San Diego

Beagle brigade arrives

A team of their own

When 14-year-old Isaiah Granet started the youth hockey team San Diego Chill for developmentally disabled children, he just wanted the kids to have a team of their own. It started with two players and has grown to 25 with much of the community volunteering. Photography by Nelvin C. Cepeda

The Marvel Experience

Comic-book aficionados headed to The Marvel Experience at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, February 7, 2015. The experience, a 90-minute interactive show, which takes participants through various levels of training that involve climbing up walls, going through a laser maze and interacting with 3D superheroes and villains. Photography by Howard Lipin

Escondido's dancing stars

Vista High's Ag. Dept. honored

Vista High School was one of just two agricultural programs recognized for community service by the Future Farmers of America. Vista High was a recipient of the FFA: Food For All grant, and FFA recognized just two chapters for outstanding results from the grants.

Monk on bee-tending mission

Spanish Revival home in Cardiff

The original house was a modest 1,000-square-foot structure built in 1961 on a .18 acre lot in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. In 2005 a contractor/builder doubled the square footage, gutted much of the interior and transformed it into a Spanish Revival-style house. The owners have decorated the home with artifacts from their travels to Ireland, Chile, Peru, Tahiti, and Vietnam.

Sudsing up with Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps made famous in the 1960s are still cleaning up with their ALL-ONE Love and Peace philosophy. They gave participants in the Spartan Race 2015 at Vail Lake Resort in Temecula showers of peppermint flavored foaming soap at the end of the race, January 17, 2015. Photography by Howard Lipin

Staging a home in Poway

Surf Air, one price all-you-can-fly airline

Surf Air, a private membership one price all-you-can-fly airline, is now flying out of Carlsbad's Palomar Airport. Members have access to unlimited flights to the airline's 8 locations in California, including Las Vegas.

Hole in One Challenge assists vets.

Wedding Ringer Stars at Miramar

The stars of the new movie, "The Wedding Ringer," Kevin Hart, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting and Josh Gad were on the hand at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, January 10, 2015, for a screening for Marines and their families. The movie opens in theaters January 16. Photography by Howard Lipin/U-T San Diego/ Twitter @hlipin

Rowe gets probation

Kathleen Rowe terrorized a married couple Jerry Rice and Janice Ruhter after they purchased a home that she wanted. Rowe placed an ad impersonating Ruhter soliciting sex and gave out Ruhter's address. Rowe was convicted of soliciting rape and was sentenced to five years probation.

CARLSBAD  Carlsbad wants to take over maintenance of beach facilities within the city, saying the state parks department hasn't been able to do the job properly because of state budget cuts. California owns about 5 miles of beaches within Carlsbad, but hasn't been able to provide basic maintenance -- which "bears a negative reflection on the city's image," city officials said. The Carlsbad City Council voted 5-0 on Tuesday directing city staff to enter ...

VALLEY CENTER  Valley Center Middle School was locked down while deputies investigated a bomb threat at a nearby house Tuesday, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said. Deputies visited a home on North Lake Wohlford Road in Valley Center after receiving a call about a domestic violence disturbance at 10:16 a.m., Lt. Robert Smith said. The man arrested said there were bombs inside the house, which led to the sheriff's department's bomb squad being ...

OCEANSIDE  A teenager playing with a lighter caused a house fire Monday night in Oceanside, a fire official said. The blaze was reported about 6 p.m. at a single-story residence on Holly Street, near Laurel Street, in the Eastside neighborhood Firefighters arrived in less than five minutes and found flames coming from the rear of the house and smoke pouring from the front, Oceanside fire Battalion Chief Pete Lawrence said. Carlsbad firefighters also responded. ...

VISTA  Vista City Council could decide Tuesday evening whether to erase street parking on a stretch of Civic Center Drive to make room for safer bike lanes. Last month, the Council OK’d a master plan that that mapped out a better biking network throughout the city. Part of that plan called for removing street parking on major thoroughfares in order to create a buffer between vehicles and bicyclists on the busy roads. But before ...

NORTH COUNTY  Following are results from recent local government meetings: CITY COUNCILS CARLSBAD The Carlsbad City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution authorizing $150,000 to be transferred from the council contingency fund to the non-departmental unfunded litigation fund to cover unbudgeted legal expenses for outside counsel; received a report on the 2015 Carlsbad Industry Tourism Study conducted by Strategic Advisory Group; received a report on the status of the Carlsbad Boulevard Realignment Program; continued ...

NORTH COUNTY  Following are upcoming meeting schedules for local government agencies: CITY COUNCILS CARLSBAD The Carlsbad City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Council Chambers, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive. Agenda items include: consider approval of an appointment to the Housing Commission; consider approval of a resolution authorizing city staff to negotiate a lease with URBN Restaurants for 2833 State St.; introduction of an ordinance related to the duties of the Carlsbad Arts ...

ESCONDIDO  Assistance League of North Coast donated $10,000 to provide 100 of Vista’s neediest teens with new clothes. Each youth received $100 to spend at Kohl's during a shopping day with Assistance League volunteers. The nonprofit raised money for the shopping trip at its Autumn Fantasy Fundraiser and through its thrift shop sales. The League found out that there are 1,105 students in grades 6-12 in the Vista Unified School District who are eligible ...

Fire and police investigators are still trying to determine what caused a blaze at an Oceanside mobile home where a 74-year-old woman was found dead, officials said Monday. The woman lived at Lamplighter Mobile Home Park with her husband and her adult son, Oceanside police Lt. Aaron Doyle said. Her name was not yet released. Her husband was found injured outside. Police did not say whether the other resident, his stepson, was home at the ...

OCEANSIDE  Firefighters doused two nearby brush fires and kept one of them from endangering Oceanside homes Sunday afternoon, a fire official said. The fires ignited about 500 feet apart in in the Lawrence Canyon area near state Route 76 about 12:20 p.m., Oceanside Fire Battalion Chief Felipe Rodriguez said. One fire was burning toward homes on Loretta Street so firefighters tackled that blaze first, Rodriguez said. Firefighters then turned to the second blaze, which ...

VISTA  A suspected drunken driver went to jail Saturday night after crashing into three other vehicles and a business, a sheriff's official said. The driver was headed north on North Santa Fe Avenue about 9:10 p.m. when he hit three vehicles also in northbound lanes near West California Avenue, Sgt. Debbie Elgin said. After those collisions, the driver swerved into southbound lanes, then went off the road and struck a business. The impact caused ...

ESCONDIDO  A drug store robber stabbed a pharmacist in the shoulder before escaping with prescription drugs Saturday night, Escondido police said. The holdup occurred about 6:30 p.m. at Rite Aid on South Centre City Parkway at Felicita Avenue, police Lt. Ed Varso said. A man possibly in his 20s, covered in a hooded sweatshirt and a red-and-gray flannel jacket, went to the pharmacy counter at the back of the store and demanded drugs, Varso ...

VISTA  A blaze that started in a carport spread to two apartment buildings in Vista Saturday afternoon, causing an estimated $80,000 in damage, a fire official said. Three vehicles partially burned and 18 tenants were displaced, Vista fire Battalion Chief Ned Vander Pol said. The fire was reported shortly after 2 p.m. at an apartment complex on Alestar Street. The carport between two buildings was burning when firefighters got there. Flames spread to several ...

SAN MARCOS  A wrong-way driver killed Thursday morning in San Marcos has been identified as J Guadalupe Perez, 55, of Escondido, according to the Medical Examiner's Office. Authorities said Perez was traveling the wrong way on East Mission Avenue near Bougher Street about 6:15 a.m. when his pickup truck collided head on with an SUV. He died a short time later at a hospital from blunt force injuries. No further details of the crash ...

CARLSBAD  An 18-year-old Oceanside man who died in a single-vehicle crash early Monday morning along Interstate 5 in Carlsbad has been identified as Stephen Nicholas Asebedo. Authorities said Asebedo was the only occupant of a pickup truck that veered off the freeway and struck a light pole near Poinsettia Lane shortly after 3 a.m. He died a short time later at a hospital from a head injury.